Troublesome Crybabies
by ichilover3
Summary: He was beyond lazy. She was beyond troublesome. It was beyond love. A series of Shikatema oneshots.
1. Kagemane no Jutsu

**Hi guys! This is my first attempt at any sort of Naruto fanfiction--I am more of a Bleach person--but I absolutely adore Shikatema and had some inspiration while writing my Hitsukarin fic _Rapture_. (Don't worry, _Rapture_ fans, I'm still writing. Just trying to make it good!) Let's see... these are a collection of oneshots and drabbles I guess. Enjoy!**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, Sasuke would stop being such an emo asshole and get over himself. Seriously!**

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Although she would never admit it, she loved being on the receiving end of his shadow possession jutsu.

When he had first used it on her during the Chunin exams, she had panicked, and rightfully so. Now she relished the feeling.

It was as if he had injected his essence into every pore in her body, every cell, and she was no longer alone in her own skin. The first time she had freaked out, trying to break the invisible bonds, but now she understood the sense of intimacy the jutsu held.

And, naturally, the vulnerability that came with it. It left her in a position she had never felt in her life, completely at his mercy and under his control.

Control was the one thing she always had. Being a shinobi required it and her childhood, filled with Gaara and her father and other situations that made the future unclear, demanded she cling to it. Being as lazy as he was, he had no problem relinquishing it to her.

But those times, oh those times when he would suddenly take the reins and her body moved involuntarily, mimicking his own, she could hardly breathe. And when her head leaned in, following his, and their lips touched in the middle, she could barely contain her shudder.

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**A/N: What did you think? Kind of sexy, if I do say so myself! ^_^ Please review! Let me know if you think it needs work.**


	2. Cloud Watching

**Hi guys! Thanks for the reviews, they made my day. Shikatema fans unite! Okay, I don't have much to say, so on with the oneshot.**

**I don't own Naruto. Believe it! (I always thought that that line was weird. But when you're an English dubber and the words have no meaning, what else are you supposed to do?)**

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She had caught him multiple times blatantly staring at her. "What?" she had asked each time.

"Nothing," he'd answered, but he hadn't averted his eyes. It had unnerved her.

Throughout her visit to Konoha, he had seemed more scatterbrained than usual, lost in thought.

She found him one day at one of his favorite cloud-watching spots, flat on his back and staring at the sky but not really seeing it.

"Oi, Nara!"

He didn't seem to notice her, and, sighing, she balanced her fan against a tree and sat down next to him on the soft grass. "Nara!"

He jumped slightly, his eyes focusing on her.

"What's wrong with you? You've been spaced out all day." He just stared at her, and, sighing, she laid down on the grass beside him.

It was silent, and Temari focused on the clouds. She could see why Shikamaru liked them, but she didn't think she could watch them all day like he could. Just sitting there was making her antsy.

To her side, he shifted. "Mendokuse."

Temari rolled her eyes. "What could it possibly be now?"

He glanced at her, his hands behind his head. "I love you."

Temari almost choked on her own saliva. "And that's troublesome for you?"

Shikamaru nodded, no more perturbed than if he had commented on the weather. "Your brothers," he said simply.

"What about them?"

"Are you kidding? They are going to kill me," he said bluntly.

"Gaara's gotten much better about that!" Temari retorted. She paused. "I can't promise anything with Kankuro, though."

He glanced at her before continuing, "You live in Suna. That's three days of trekking through sand. What a drag."

"I come here all the time!" she scoffed. "It's about time you got off your lazy ass."

He turned to face her then. "I…don't know how _you _feel," he said simply.

She felt her cheeks warm up, and she willed the blush down. Then she reached over, interlacing her fingers with his. "Baka," she muttered, turning away from him.

He smirked.

"My brothers won't kill you. I can't guarantee they won't hurt you, though."

Shikamaru sighed, closing his eyes. Troublesome.

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**A/N: What did you think? Press that pretty button. Come on, you know you have something to say!**


	3. Blackmail

**Hey guys! Once again, thanks for the reviews, you guys are great! Okay, I'll admit, this oneshot is kind of crackish, but it came to me one night at one in the morning, so you'll have to forgive its weirdness. Enjoy!**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, there would definitely be more Shikatema moments. And not just in fillers! (God bless the animators, though. _They_ know how things should go down!)**

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Naruto ambled down the road, yawning widely. The sun was just starting to rise and even the birds weren't up yet. It was way too early to train in his opinion, but apparently Kakashi begged to differ.

Yawning again, he trudged along, barely awake. He sobered up quickly, however, when he saw the silhouette of his friend.

"Shikamaru!" Naruto yelled, causing his friend to visibly cringe. Naruto ran over, and Shikamaru turned to face him.

"What are you doing up this early?!"

Shikamaru sighed, gesturing to the girl next to him. The blond-haired kunoichi smirked. "Naruto," she said in greeting.

Naruto furrowed his brow. "Hey! Aren't you Gaara's sister?!"

"Temari," Shikamaru cut in. Naruto _really_ shouldn't anger this one.

"Yeah, that's it!" His face lit up. "How is Gaara, anyway?"

"Fine," Temari answered curtly, slightly agitated. "Are we done here?"

"You guys sure are together a lot, dattebayo," Naruto commented, as if he had never heard her.

Shikamaru sighed, having explained this to Naruto multiple times. "She's Suna's ambassador, and I'm her guide."

"But she's come here every month for the past three years," Naruto retorted. "She probably knows Konoha better than you, Shikamaru. Why does she still need a guide?"

Temari and Shikamaru shared a look. "What are you doing up so early, Naruto?" Shikamaru asked carefully.

He grinned. "Training. Kakashi-sensei wants to teach me some new jutsu, dattebayo. What about you guys?"

"I'm going back to Suna," Temari replied. "Shikamaru's showing me to the gates."

"But Temari-san," Naruto said, truly perplexed, "what are you doing here at Shikamaru's apartment? Your hotel is closer to the gates."

Temari swallowed. "Um, what kind of new jutsu? It sounds interesting."

Naruto sighed. "I don't know yet, he wouldn't tell me. I hope that it's—HEY WAIT A MINUTE! ARE YOU TRYING TO DISTRACT ME?!"

Shikamaru shook his head. "No. What makes you think that?"

"Well then, why are you still her guide, and what is Temari-san doing at your place so early in the morning?! And HEY, Temari-san, weren't you wearing those clothes yesterday?!"

Temari flinched at the volume of Naruto's voice and gave Shikamaru a look that clearly said _you're the genius. Figure this out_. Shikamaru only shrugged at her.

One could almost hear the gears in Naruto's head turning. Suddenly, a lightbulb went on.

"HEY!" he shouted. "DOES THIS MEAN THAT YOU GUYS REALLY ARE DATIN—"

"HOW WOULD YOU LIKE A BOWL OF RAMEN, NARUTO?!" Temari screamed, surprisingly drowning Naruto out.

He looked shocked for a moment, but he soon grinned. _Oh, this was going to be good._ "Five. A day."

"Three," Temari reasoned. "A week."

Naruto nodded eagerly, visibly salivating over all the ramen he was going to get.

"Okay, well, I really do have to head back home." Temari started walking away, slapping Shikamaru's butt in the process. He looked at her in amazement and Naruto's jaw dropped.

"What? It's not like we have to hide anymore." An eyebrow raised innocently. "At least in front of him."

Shikamaru continued to look perplexed, and she grinned, readjusting the fan on her back and continuing down the road. "Later!" she called over her shoulder.

The boys watched her go in amazement.

Then, "I want my ramen."

Shikamaru groaned. _She seriously left me to be blackmailed by this idiot? Troublesome woman._

Naruto grinned again. "Nothing like pre-training ramen, dattebayo!"

"Mendokuse."

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**A/N: What'd you think? Was it funny? Ridiculous? Let me know! ^_^**


	4. Thoughts on Temari

**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews. It's nice to know I'm not completely insane! ^_^ Anyway, I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this next one. Hmm...Oh well, here goes.**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, poor Hinata would confess to Naruto. That boy is more dense than a brick wall.**

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Temari wasn't what one would call a "normal girl".

Girls like Ino and Sakura were constantly checking their faces, making sure nothing was smudged. Since he had known her, Temari had not put on anything more serious than lip balm.

Ino and Sakura obsessed over looks, collectively worried about weight and foreheads and being pretty enough for someone to notice. Temari was built differently from the girls in Konoha. Her hips were wider, breasts fuller, and arms well toned from carrying and swinging her fan around. She was not fat, just more muscular and thick than Konohan girls were used to, and they therefore did not know how to deal with her.

Once, while having dinner with Team Ten, Ino had commented on Temari's caloric intake. Temari hadn't seemed offended at all, mentioning between bites that she was who she was, and if someone didn't like that, tough. "Besides," she'd added, battling Chouji for a piece of meat and losing spectacularly, "real women have curves."

While other kunoichi had painted nails that sparkled on smooth hands, Temari's palms were calloused, and her nails, more often than not, had dirt under them.

All of his life, he had wanted to marry an average girl. Temari was nowhere _near _average. She far too beautiful, with her curves and her eyes that rivaled the ocean. Her fury was a force to be reckoned with; she was easily scarier than his own mother. She was intelligent and not afraid to show it. And, of course, she was beyond troublesome.

But when she smiled at him, or, Kami help him, _laughed_, Shikamaru knew she was well worth the trouble.

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**A/N: What do you think? I kind of like it. Hmm... Anyway, review review!**


	5. Switch

**Hi guys! It's been a little while, I know. I've been having internet problems like you wouldn't believe! Okay, I'm not really sure where this came from, but the plot bunny attacked at two in the morning, so sorry if it feels rushed. **

**Oh! And thanks to all the reviewers that let me know Hinata confessed to Naruto. I'm really far behind in the manga, and have made it my mission to catch up over the summer. Anyway, I thought it was really funny to realize that I apparently owned Naruto for a chapter!**

**I still don't own Naruto (unfortunately! ^_^). If I did, there would be more Kakashi. He's kind of sexy, if you don't mind me saying so.**

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Nara Shikamaru had always been logical. He had an IQ of over two hundred and was an excellent strategist. It's safe to say he always thought with his head.

Sabaku no Temari had always been reckless. She was the wind; she blew wherever she wanted and didn't apologize for it. Temari also was an excellent strategist, but she thought more with her heart than her head.

It felt strange to both of them, then, when the roles were suddenly reversed.

"We can't."

"Why not?" Gone was his bored expression and desperation had taken its place.

"I live in Suna." Images of her sandy home flitted through her brain. But, mostly, thoughts of her brothers. "I can't leave Suna."

"I'm not asking you to."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Konoha is your home!"

He set his jaw. "I'm willing to make sacrifices."

"I won't let you." She tore her gaze from him. "You hate Suna. I won't let you."

He ignored her, gently cupping her face and forcing her to look at him. She shivered slightly.

"We can't," she whispered.

He leaned down to brush his lips against hers, but she moved swiftly away.

"You are a Konohan nin. I'm a kunoichi from Suna. What if our villages declare war? This peace isn't exactly stable, you know."

His eyes gazed into hers. Moisture that could have been the start of tears—but of course they weren't, this was _Temari_, he reasoned with himself—dotted her dark eyelashes. She blinked rapidly.

"You are loyal to your village, as I am to mine. If you were ordered to kill the innocent people of Suna, would you do it? How about my brothers? The high and mighty Kazekage and his advisor. Could you do that?"

Her swallow was audible, and his stomach dropped in anticipation of the words he knew she was going to say next.

"What about me? Could you kill me if you had to?"  
"Temari."

"What if I killed your family, then could you do it?"

"Temari."

"Your friends? Just murdered them all in cold blood. Slit their throats."

"Temari!"

"What if I tried to kill _you_? You know that if you didn't take me seriously, I could do it."

He wrapped his arms around her, her hair tickling his chin. Temari fought him, pushing her hands against his chest, but he held tight.

"I love you," Shikamaru whispered into her hair. "Can't you just trust that?"

Temari didn't respond, but she stopped struggling. He hugged her closer.

"There's a sixty percent chance that the peace between our villages won't last," Shikamaru continued softly. "But that means there's a forty percent chance that it will."

There. There it was. Logic. Reasoning. Strategy. He was merging back into his own territory.

It left her room to go back to hers.

"Okay!" she said with such conviction that he pulled back slightly, looking into her seafoam-green eyes.

She kissed him forcefully on the lips, pulling back when he had just started to respond. He looked at her in confusion.

"Give it to me," she demanded.

To that he grinned, and when he held it up, Temari snatched it from him.

The ring glittered nicely on her finger.

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**A/N: Okay, what did you think? Review review!**


	6. Ino

**Hey, guys! I'm not going to lie, I was a little disappointed with the lack of reviews for the last chapter. I almost stopped writing this story, but I had too many more scenarios in my head to just change the status to complete. Sorry if it wasn't up to par, I guess, and thank you for sticking with me this long!**

**This one is a lot longer than the other oneshots. The idea randomly spawned in my mind, and it quickly became a monster. Enjoy!**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, Shikamaru would have never started smoking. The gesture was really sweet, but I just don't like the idea of him smoking death sticks.**

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The meat sat there tauntingly, ready to be cooked and eaten.

Choji sighed audibly. "Can't I just have one, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "Sorry, Choji. You know how scary Ino gets when we start without her."

"Why? It's not like she'll eat any of it anyway. She's on another one of her diets."

Sympathetically, he shook his head again. He wasn't sure why Ino was late to Team Ten's weekly Barbeque Night, but he wasn't going to take any chances. Ino could very easily go on one of her rampages, and that would just be troublesome.

Choji groaned, clearly disheartened. When he saw Ino suddenly enter the restaurant over Shikamaru's shoulder, he could barely contain his glee.

"Sorry I'm late, guys," Ino greeted, sliding into a chair next to Choji.

Shikamaru's eyebrows rose in surprise, and Choji's chopsticks, reaching for the meat, froze in midair.

Ino's right eye was black and blue, the bruising reaching as high as her eyebrow, and her bottom lip was puffy, dried blood in the corner.

The boys looked at each other wordlessly, both afraid to ask. Seemingly unbothered, Ino reached over with her chopsticks and put some meat on the grill.

"Um, Ino?" Choji started cautiously.

"Yes, Choji?" Ino asked, arranging her meat.

Choji hesitated, and Shikamaru picked up where he left off. "What happened to your face?"

"What happened to my face," Ino repeated, her tone light. "Funny you should ask, Shikamaru. Your girlfriend is what happened to my face."

"I told you before, Ino. Temari's not my girlfriend." And that was the truth. Not that he wouldn't mind having her as a girlfriend.

Ino ignored him, nibbling on a piece of meat tenderly. "I was just trying to be nice! Last time I have a conversation with _her_."

Shikamaru sighed. This was beyond troublesome. "What happened?" he asked, almost afraid to know.

"Well, I was at the market," Ino started, "buying another kunai. You know how my other one got lost during our last mission and—"

"Ino," Shikamaru interrupted. "Focus."

Ino scoffed, but continued her tale. "So I happened to see her and I asked what brought her to the market. She said she was making herself dinner. I didn't know she could cook."

Shikamaru hadn't known that Temari could cook either. Of course, he was the one who would always take her to restaurants when she was in Konoha. It would make sense that Temari would make herself something the one night he was busy.

"Anyway, Sakura's on a mission today, and let's just say Tenten and Hinata aren't very good shopping partners. So, being the nice person I am, I asked your girlfriend if she wanted to go shopping with me."

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Deny it all you want," Ino snapped at him, "everyone already knows the truth."

"You're getting distracted again, Ino," Choji mumbled around a big bite of barbeque.

"Oh! Right." Ino took another bite of her meat. "So I asked her if she wanted to go shopping with me, and she said 'no thanks, I don't need anything.' But by then I really wanted someone to go with me, so I told her that if she went, I would help her look for less slutty clothes."

Choji began choking, and Shikamaru inwardly groaned. "So she hit you," Shikamaru stated flatly.

Distractedly, Ino pounded on Choji's back with much more force than what was necessary. "No, she just sort of smiled at me."

Shikamaru knew Temari, and most likely she had not smiled at Ino, but had merely bared her teeth.

"Then she told me that it was just hot in Suna. Then I asked _her_ how showing cleavage and thigh _possibly_ cooled her down."

Shikamaru wasn't even remotely hungry at this point, and pushed his plate away.

"And _then_ she hit you?" Choji asked, his windpipe finally clear.

"No," Ino snapped irritably. "She thanked me again, but told me that she was on her way to train."

She paused, taking a sip of her drink before continuing. "I asked her why she trained so much. She was already so muscular, I told her, that she was a little on the mannish side."

Choji's jaw dropped, he had to physically stop Shikamaru from faceplanting on the grill.

"What?" Ino asked innocently.

Shikamaru shook his head. "And _then_…?"

"No, she didn't hit me. She just was sort of quiet."

Shikamaru cringed inwardly. A quiet Temari was lethal.

"Then I told her that if she came with me I'd help her look nice for you, Shikamaru. She asked me why she would want to do that, and I started talking up all your attributes. There weren't many and I had to stretch the truth a little. Don't ever say I never helped you out."

Shikamaru sighed tiredly, and Choji prodded, "and then?"

"Then she asked why_ I_ wasn't going out with Shikamaru if he was such a good guy. I told her that Shika preferred fat girls like her."

Shikamaru seriously questioned Ino's self-preservation skills. _Was she insane? _

"And then she said, 'Gaara's going to kill me.' And I was kind of confused, so I asked what she meant. She answered, 'I just hit a bitch.' _Yes_, Choji," Ino snapped, interrupting him before he began, "_that_ is when she hit me. Punched me right in the eye, and I was so startled that I bit my lip. Your girlfriend's a barbarian!"

Shikamaru stood up tiredly. "Mendokuse."

"Where do you think you're going?" Ino asked loudly.

"To do damage control," he answered, already walking away. "My barbarian of a girlfriend can level all of Konoha in ten seconds flat."

Ino and Choji watched his retreating form until it exited the restaurant.

"…Did you hear that too, Ino?"

"Shikamaru admitting that they're dating?! Yes!!"

"Do you think he was being sarcastic?"

"Oh no, he was serious."

"…No one will believe us."

Ino grinned evilly, pulling one of her hands from under the table and dangling her cell phone in Choji's face. "Got it on tape."

Choji grinned back, eating another piece of meat.

"I really am a genius," Ino boasted, wiping her eye with a napkin. Choji's eyes widened as Ino's bruise began to come off, smudging on her face.

"What?" Ino asked, wetting the napkin to make it easier. "You can't possibly think I'm dumb enough to insult Temari? That girl's a beast! She'd kill me!"

Choji continued to stare wordlessly.

Ino outsmarted Shikamaru.

Hell just froze over.

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**A/N: Was that one better? Review and let me know! ^_^**


	7. Princess

**Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait, I have just been caught up in college and, with the rare free time that I have, working on another fic, **_**Rapture**_**. It's Bleach, for anyone who cares, and Hitsukarin. I don't know if I've mentioned the story already, but if I have, I apologize for repeating myself!**

**Okay! I am finally caught up with the manga! Whoop whoop! Just thought I'd share that accomplishment.**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, Sasuke would stop being so frickin' annoying, own up to his actions, and LET THINGS GO! Omg, that kid is causing so much trouble, and he is not even worth it!**

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Temari was a princess.

Sure, she didn't look like it. She physically did not fit the part, being strong and muscular instead of delicate, like a princess should be, and she was anything but demure, her clothes only bothering to cover the essentials. Her hair constantly ran wild, barely being contained by their pigtails.

She definitely didn't act like one. She was loud, frank, and said things that would make a sailor blush. She used brute force first and asked questions later. And, unlike the stereotypical princess, Temari was not afraid to get down and dirty. Not to say that she wasn't clean; she showered as often as the next person. It's just that dirt and sweat, sand and grime, they were all old pals, and who was she to reject a friend?

Despite not _looking_ the part, and not _acting_ the part, Temari was Suna's princess, and had grown up being treated as such. If she wanted something, it would be given to her, no questions asked.

Therefore, "no" was not in Temari's vocabulary, and, being Temari, she charged after whatever she wanted, fully expecting to have it.

Poor Nara. He didn't know what was coming.

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Shikamaru walked along the road, his hands in his pockets. His gaze was lifted towards the sky, still looking at the fluffy clouds.

He sighed. He had been minding his own business, watching the clouds and enjoying the breeze on his favorite grassy hill, when Temari stomped over, demanding that he take her to lunch. Troublesome woman.

Said woman walked beside him, practically leading the way. Why she still needed a guide, Shikamaru didn't know.

"Hey, Nara," she said suddenly.

Shikamaru did nothing to show he had heard her, walking ahead into the alleyway that lead to the restaurant. Oh, how he missed his hill.

"Nara," she said again, her tone a bit more dangerous.

Shikamaru didn't need to be a genius to know that he should answer. "Mendokuse," he mumbled to himself, shifting his gaze down to the desert nin. "What? What do you want, Temari?"

The next few seconds were a blur, and Shikamaru's agile mind worked to keep up. The first thing that he noticed were Temari's seafoam green eyes, inches from his own. Then, the pain receptors in his brain suddenly went off, and he winced slightly. _She threw me against the wall_, he thought incredulously.

He could barely move, being trapped between the wall and Temari, and he noticed that she still held him in place by his collar.

Those eyes again. He wasn't sure what they wanted, but they were so close, he felt slightly cross-eyed. He lowered his gaze slightly, noticing for the first time the light sprinkling of freckles that adorned her nose.

Then her lips were on his, and his brain shut off completely. All he could do was feel. It was light, like the brush of a butterfly's wings, but at the same time, it was aggressive, daring him to object.

He wasn't sure how long she kissed him, but suddenly the pressure was gone and the wall was no longer pressing painfully into his back. He gaped at Temari, those eyes of hers no longer ridiculously close.

She gave him the_ smile_, the one that for some reason always made his stomach drop out. "What do I want?" she repeated sarcastically, a finger tapping her chin in mock speculation. "Hmm, I wonder."

And then she resumed walking to the restaurant, leaving him gawking behind her.

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**A/N: What do you think? That one's been rolling around in my head for a while. Temari doesn't seem like the type who will take "no" for an answer!**

**Review! Press the button! You know you really want to!**


	8. Hospital Bed

**Oh, wow, I am so sorry! I have been so caught up with school and my latest fic, _Rapture_, that I have completely forgotten about this one! T_T Thank you to anyone who is still following this, I really appreciate it! I'm not sure how often I will update this, but it will depend on inspiration. Hopefully, it will not be nearly as long a wait as last time. Thanks again!**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, Sasuke would stop being such a douchebag and get over himself.**

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It wasn't right.

He lit his fifth cigarette in ten minutes and took a long drag. His nerves made it impossible to finish a whole one, but he needed the calming sensation of the smoke in his lungs.

Choji sat on the bench next to his friend, worried about Shikamaru's sanity. Normally a sloucher, Shikamaru sat erect on the very edge of the bench, body so stiff it looked painful. For lack of a better analogy, he looked like a deer in the headlights, as if any sudden movement would send him sprinting. And, on top of all that, he was chain-smoking. He hadn't smoked in a year, because, he told Choji, _she_ kept nagging him about it, and he really didn't want to hear it during the fifteen hours a day he was forced to be in her presence.

He looked so un-Shikamaru that Choji didn't know what to do. Shikamaru was logical. Shikamaru always had a plan. _This_ person was a nervous wreck; it seemed as if the slightest push would break him. This made Choji nervous as well, and he mentally willed Ino to hurry up with his chips.

"It's not right."

Though barely louder than a whisper, the voice startled Choji. He focused his attention on his friend but didn't look at him. What Shikamaru needed was someone to listen to him, and that was something that Choji was good at.

He watched out of the corner of his eye as Shikamaru took a particularly long drag, letting the smoke out slowly and then throwing the cigarette to the ground and crushing it with his foot. There was a pile forming.

"I should be the one in there. She jumped in front of me."

Choji didn't answer, deciding instead to count his best friend's uneven breaths.

"The guy--he fueled chakra into his fists, sort of like what Sakura does. I was too focused on his partner to see him coming. He aimed for my heart, but she jumped in front of me. She's shorter." His voice cracked at the end, and, hands beginning to shake, he pulled another cigarette from the pack, placing it between his lips. "There was so much blood..."

"Are you crazy?!" A pale hand snatched the cigarette from him, grabbing the pack as well. Ino put down the tray of coffees she had just gotten from the vending machine and tossed Choji a bag of chips, still glaring at her forlorn teammate. "This is a freaking hospital! You can't smoke in here."

Shikamaru, his last bit of sanity taken from him, looked at her wide-eyed.

"Ino," Choji warned.

"Shut it, Choji." Kneeling before Shikamaru, she forced a cup into his limp hand. "Drink this. You'll feel better."

"I don't think coffee is a good idea, Ino," Choji piped up again. Shikamaru was so far on the edge that caffeine would surely push him over. He went to take the drink from Shikamaru, but Ino slapped his hand.

"I'm not stupid. His is decaffeinated tea." She stood, grabbing the remaining two cups and thrusting one at Choji. "Ours are coffee. It's four in the morning. We've already been sitting here for three hours, and who knows how long this is going to take."

Choji took the drink gratefully, noticing that Shikamaru did nothing but stare intently at his, as if it had offended him.

Suddenly, the doors opened, and a tired looking Sakura walked out. All three of them froze, Ino and Choji preparing to do damage control and Shikamaru somehow forgetting how to breathe.

"She was in critical condition," Sakura started.

_Breathe in, breathe out. In, out._

"But we managed to stop the blood flow and access the damage. It's a good thing you got her here as quickly as you did, Shikamaru, or she would have died. As it is now, we're still keeping a close eye on her, but if everything goes as planned, she should make a full recovery."

Shikamaru shuddered as relief ran through him. Choji grinned, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder, and Ino replied, "Thank god."

"Shikamaru," Sakura started hesitantly, "she's conscious now if you want to see her. Just keep it short, she'll need all the rest she can get."

He had barely moved since Sakura had come to give them the news, but at the word "conscious" he was quickly on his feet, marching past her and through the doors.

Ino smiled, shaking her head.

"And they're not dating," Sakura deadpanned.

* * *

The first thing that Shikamaru noticed when he entered her room was that she was alive. She had a bunch of IVs stuck in her, and at the sight of him, she only smiled weakly, but she was alive.

That was when he saw her hair.

Half of her head was shaved, presumably by the doctors, so that they could save her.

He approached her hospital bed slowly, like a frightened animal.

"It looks ridiculous, huh?" she said quietly, noticing where his gaze lay. "I think I'm just going to shave it all off."

And at that, the floodgates opened. All of the emotions that he had been trying to reign in, trying to control, burst to the surface, and he stood next to her, sobbing silently.

She seemed startled. "Nara, it's just hair. It'll grow back."

He turned his teary eyes to hers. The ones that made him think of the sky. "Why, Temari?" he choked out. "Why did you do it?"

She stared at him for a long time before deciding to answer. "I told you. I told you that I would always be there, didn't I? Your ass isn't going to save itself, you know."

"Temari." His voice was strangely low, anger bubbling beneath the surface. "You could have _died!_"

"You _would_ have died," she retaliated stubbornly.

He was at a loss of words then, furious, not at her, but at himself. None of this would have happened if he had just forseen his opponent having a partner. Temari wouldn't be lying in that hospital bed, tubes running up and down her arms and her head shaved.

"I should have."

Her face softened at that. He was willing to give his life for hers, and as much as she wanted to call him an idiot, she couldn't, because the fact that she was in that hospital bed was proof enough that she was guilty of feeling the same way.

"Come here, crybaby," she said softly.

And Shikamaru climbed into the hospital bed with her and held her close.

* * *

**A/N: Not sure how I feel about that one. Hope I didn't make anyone too OOC. Please, leave a review on your way out! Appreciate it. ^_^**


	9. Maybe

**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews, they were great. ^_^**

**So I just noticed something--a lot of the changes that I would make if I owned Naruto have to do with Sasuke not being a douche. I'm sorry if I seem repetitive, but that boy is really getting on my nerves! I just hope that he can be saved, because I started rereading Naruto lately and he used to be such a promising character. Especially his relationship with Sakura, poor girl. Anyway, on with the show!**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, poor Sakura would have another love interest. This one's not working out so well.**

* * *

He didn't like her. He didn't.

He didn't care what anyone said, the relationship that he and Subaku no Temari had was strictly platonic. They had been constantly forced to share the same workspace, and as such had learned to tolerate each other.

He wasn't sure what feeling enveloped him when he had caught sight of her, but it kept him grounded in his place, peeking at her from behind the wall.

She and her brothers were in Konoha for a week, as Gaara had matters to discuss with Tsunade that could be more easily dealt with face to face. Now, as Gaara awaited his appointment with the Hokage, he sat comfortably on one of the couches in the waiting room, his siblings dutifully by his side.

Shikamaru had happened to be in the Hokage's building at that time, and was just passing by when he heard the laugh, the familiar one that strangely, without fail, always created a slight flutter in his gut.

He really needed to get that checked. That couldn't be normal.

Anyway, he had turned, and at the sight, had felt compelled to hide and watch, like some voyeur.

Kankuro stood near the wall, but Temari leaned over the seated Gaara, her arms wrapped around his neck, nuzzling his hair.

"Temari," Gaara said, a slight bit of annoyance in his voice.

"Hmm?" A soft smile graced her face, and Shikamaru felt his breath catch.

"Must you do this now? We are in public, and I am the Kazekage."

"He's right, Temari," Kankuro added, grinning. "You're ruining his bad-ass image."

Temari scoffed. "What, I can't hug my own brother?"

"You never hug _me_," Kankuro retorted.

"You're not as cute as him." She pouted, resting her chin on Gaara's head. She brightened. "I see what this is about!" Temari grinned, kissing the _l_ove kanji tattoo on her youngest brother's forehead and giving him a final squeeze. "You just want some attention."

"I do not," Kankuro barked back. "You're just all touchy feely, and Gaara clearly does not appreciate it."

But from what Shikamaru could see, as much as he protested, the youngest sand-nin was thoroughly enjoying the coddling his sister was giving. The corner of his mouth was quirked upward, and from _Gaara_ that meant everything.

"Come here, Kanky," Temari cooed mockingly, reaching her arms out to her brother.

Kankuro's eyes widened. "What did I say about calling me that in public?"

"Come give your onee-san some love!" Temari walked towards him, and Kankuro backed up hurriedly into the wall, looking for an escape. Temari was closer to the door than he was, and he'd never make it. Shikamaru noticed him contemplating the window.

But it was too late. Despite his cries of protest, Temari pounced, wrapping her brother in a bear hug.

"Shh, don't fight it," Temari said, grinning again. Shikamaru's stomach fluttered again. Damn it. "Just...accept it. It's okay."

Kankuro had been struggling, but, seeing no way out, he completely gave, standing there as Temari patted his back soothingly.

"See?" she said into his chest. "This isn't so bad."

A sound that sounded like a snort came from Gaara's direction.

And as he watched, the feeling came over Shikamaru again. He couldn't be..._jealous_, could he? That was impossible, seeing as he didn't like her that way. At _all_.

And it would be pretty ridiculous to be jealous of her brothers, of all people. Although, they were rivals in their own right. She loved her brothers, and would choose them over him in a heartbeat.

Not that he wanted her to _choose_ him or anything...cough.

He could not deny, however, the sense of longing he felt watching them. He wanted her to touch him too; to be so in love with him, like her brothers, that she would spontaneously jump him, placing chaste kisses to his forehead and nuzzling his hair.

But...maybe not the brotherly love. Not even the friendly kind. Maybe, just maybe, he wanted more...

The door to the Hokage's office opened, and Shizune stepped out. At the sound of the door, Temari had let go of Kankuro, and they took their places behind Gaara as he stood, the three of them the poster children of political formality.

"Kazekage-sama," Shizune greeted, bowing, which Gaara returned with a nod of his head. "Lady Hokage will see you now."

And at this, Shikamaru stopped watching. As he heard the door shut behind the three sand-nin, he pondered his thoughts. What exactly was it that he wanted?

"How long are you going to stand here, Nara?"

He jumped at the sound of her voice and she smirked, the glint in her beautiful eyes telling him that she had known he was there the whole time. Damn.

"I was just leaving."

"Oh really?" Her tone was still playful. "I was under the impression that maybe you wanted some luuurve from Temari too."

Her words had their intended effect--he felt himself blush. She laughed.

But to her surprise, and more importantly, his, he answered, "Maybe I do."

_That_ got her. Although she did not lose her composure, her eyes widened slightly, and the tips of her ears turned pink. Then, she looked at him differently, in a way that made him shiver slightly.

"Then _maybe_," she said huskily, her eyes sizing him up, "you should take me out to dinner. And then _maybe_ I'll think about it."

Oh _ho_. This was new.

And even as he left her, a mischievous glint in her eye and a slap-happy grin on his face, he reminded himself. He didn't like her that way. They were just friends. It didn't mean anything.

...Maybe.

* * *

**A/N: Random, I know. But I always feel like Temari would be all lovey with her brothers, especially now that Gaara's not insane anymore, just misunderstood. **

**Don't hit and run! Review review! ^_^**


	10. Sorry

**Hey guys! I know it's been a while, but I guess I've decided that this story will be updated when the mood strikes me, or when I have writer's block for my fic **_**Rapture**_**. (shameless plug. haha) Anyway, thanks to everyone still watching over this, and I hope you enjoy! **

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, there would be **_**some**_** kind of romance in it. As much as we like to speculate, in the end, Kishimoto can choose to not put anyone with anyone else.**

* * *

It hurt to breathe.

He did anyway, taking in ragged, gasping breaths. The ground was rough on his face, rocks finding ways to etch themselves into his cheek, and blood dripped into his one good eye, making it difficult to see.

None of this mattered.

He was dying.

He didn't even have the energy to wipe the blood away; hardly had any to blink. He could feel his body slowly shutting down, slowly giving up.

Even so, he could see her, laying a couple of feet away in her own pool of blood. She wasn't facing him, and she wasn't moving.

He thought that he had nothing left, that there was no energy to spend, but he somehow found himself slowly dragging himself towards her, closing the gap.

She had heard him coming. With all of the energy she had left, she turned to face him, gritting her teeth at the strain. Some dirt found its way into her mouth, but that was the least of her worries.

She was dying.

For a while they stayed like that, trying to gain back some form of energy, watching one another slowly die.

Finally, he spoke.

"Temari."

If this were any other situation, she would yell at him, saying he was stupid for going after her and that it was his own damn fault that he was hurt. But instead, her mouth soundlessly formed the syllables of his name-_shi-ka-ma-ru_-and she started to cry. Not sobbing, just rivulets of tears sprouting from her eyes and dripping down her nose.

He began to cry as well, but he _was_ sobbing, unable to hold back the emotions swelling inside his broken body.

Crying was something that Shikamaru always did and Temari never did, but none of that mattered.

She coughed, blood speckling the ground between them and dripping down her chin. "I'm...sorry," she rasped.

He heard everything that she meant. _I'm sorry I worried you. I'm sorry I got us into this mess._

_I'm sorry I never told you that I love you._

"No, I'm sorry," he replied, his vision starting to blur at the edges._ I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I'm sorry that I never told you how beautiful you are._

_I'm sorry I never got the nerve to tell you how I feel._

Blindly, he reached for her hand, grasping it in his.

Her mouth twitched, like she would smile at him if she had the energy, but instead she coughed up more blood.

They were together, finally. And together, they waited for death to claim them.

* * *

**A/N: Kind of dark and random, I know. I guess I was in a dark and random mood. ^_^**

**Leave a review, tell me what you thought!**


	11. Sad Day

**Hi guys! Thanks to everyone who read/reviewed the last chapter. I really appreciate it! *hugs***

**Okay, I don't really have much to say. This one is a little random—even I'm not sure where it came from. I hope you like!**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, there would be some Shikatema/Naruhina action going on.**

* * *

Okay, he admits it.

It wasn't the most graceful moment in his life, nor was it the most dignified. But, considering the circumstances, he thinks that he handled the situation very well. A little yelp of surprise, but it was a manly one.

Very, very manly.

Okay, who was he kidding? He screamed like a little girl and then backpedaled until he fell on the floor. But honestly, what else was he _supposed_ to do when he woke up to find _Sabaku no Temari_ snoring in his bed? Just sort of go, "huh," and then fall back asleep?

No, it doesn't work that way, kids. One, because even though he is twenty he still lives with his parents, and having a girl over in his parents' house is not high on his priority list. Oh, and let's not forget the fact that he has absolutely no recollection of how she had gotten there. Last night he got home from a mission and crashed, and this morning he woke up to a Sunan princess in his bed.

Sweet Jesus, is she _naked_ under there?

"Nice, Nara," the cause of all of his problems says, yawning. She sits up, the sheets falling off her form and proving to him that she is _not_ naked, but instead wearing one of _his_ t-shirts.

Emotion—relief tinged with disappointment—fills him. He gapes at her as she studies him, his ass still firmly planted on the floor. "What are you doing here?"

"You're a terrible ninja, you know," she says, stretching. "I easily bypassed all of those traps you set up. Although," she adds, swinging her legs off of the bed and standing up, "maybe it was because I know you too well."

He is having a hard time responding because she is walking towards him, wearing his shirt emblazoned with the Nara clan symbol, and it is too big for her. It lands a few inches above her knees, a length that is modest enough, but short enough for him to notice she isn't wearing pants.

"I just came in through the window," she continues. Her hair is free of its usual pigtails, now framing her head like a complex, tousled, beautiful sun. "You didn't wake up or anything. Not even when I got into bed with you."

Shikamaru flushes at the innuendo. "That's not what I asked! What are you doing here?"

She shrugs, walking around the bed and standing in front of him. "I was passing by Konoha and I got tired."

"So you snuck in Konoha without the Hokage knowing," he says, his hysteria slowly rising, "and then _broke into my house?_"

She grins, the one that shows all of her teeth and almost always makes him question his feelings for her. "The Hokage knows I'm here, and approved it. And I needed a place to stay. What else are guides for, anyway?"

He exhales slowly out of his nostrils, trying to control his scattered emotions. Temari is in his bedroom. Alone. With _him_. And she had just slept in his bed. _With him in it._ Kami-sama, _is she even wearing underwear?_

"Shikamaru!" an enraged harpy, otherwise known as his mother, screeches from downstairs.

His breath catches in his throat. _She knows!_ His insane mother knows that he is harboring a half-naked Sand-nin, one who is a girl and might not be wearing panties. He chokes, his throat involuntarily closing up with the realization.

"Breakfast!" she shrieks again, and Shikamaru feels relief course through his veins.

That is, until he sees Temari start to open his bedroom door.

"What the hell are you doing?" he hisses at her, slamming the door shut.

She gives him a look that clearly says she thinks he's an idiot, but answers, "Breakfast is ready."

She must be _insane_. He knew the day he met her that she was a little off her rocker, but this one just took the cake. "So you're going to go downstairs and eat with my parents, who, by the way, have no idea that you're here, while wearing _that_?"

Temari nonchalantly looks down at herself. "You want me to change?" she asks, lifting the bottom of the t-shirt.

He manages to force her shirt back down, but not before catching a glimpse of the red, lacy panties underneath.

That answers _that _question.

She laughs. "I'm just messing with you, Nara."

Well, that was a cruel, cruel joke. One more prank like that and he can't guarantee that he'd be able to control himself.

She is rummaging through his drawers, searching for something. "I didn't come through your window. I came through the front door."

His eyebrows raise involuntarily in surprise.

She seems to have found what she was looking for— a pair of shorts. This particular pair is a pair of mesh gym shorts, and the elastic in the waistband allows her to slip them up her curvy hips even though they were made to fit a scrawny boy.

Shikamaru watches, mesmerized, as she does so, giving him a good look at her ass.

"Your mom answered," she continues, smirking at where his gaze lies. "She told me that I was welcome to stay, and that even though there was no guest room, _you_ wouldn't mind if I stayed in your room with you. And she was right—you didn't. You were knocked out cold."

She smirks again, once again opening the bedroom door. "Sad day when even your own _mother_ is trying to get you laid."

He stands there, embarrassed and dumbfounded, as she shuts the door behind her, meandering her way down to breakfast.

They _do_ have a guest bedroom.

Two, in fact.

Shikamaru sighs.

Sad day indeed.

* * *

**A/N: I might possibly turn this into a two shot later if I feel like it. Review and tell me what you think! ^_^**


	12. Naruto chan

**Hello again! Thank you guys so much for the reviews, I appreciate it! ^_^**

**Okay, not much to say this time other than this plot bunny caught ahold of me and wouldn't let go. I'm not completely sure whether I like this or not.**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, I would be a lucky, lucky girl.**

* * *

"If we repair the dam with steel instead of just putting a jutsu on it, it will be less likely to break again," Shikamaru droned.

Naruto gazed out of the window, a faraway look on his face.

"While putting a jutsu on the wood has been the traditional way to prevent a leak, someone has taught Konohamaru how to negate it."

Naruto barely blinked.

"Naruto, are you even listening to me?" Shikamaru asked, annoyed.

Naruto finally looked up. "Hey Shikamaru, do you think that Hinata-chan will make ramen for dinner tonight?"

Shikamaru sighed tiredly. "She makes you ramen every night. Now, can you focus? As the Hokage, I think you should care whether the village floods or not."

Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. I'm really hungry, and this is boring."

Shikamaru had to agree. All he wanted to do was go outside and watch his beloved clouds. By now the sun would be close to setting, and the clouds would be multiple colors-reds, oranges, pinks, purples. His eyes looked out the window longingly.

He sighed again. All he had ever wanted was to be an average ninja, and here he was, advisor to the Hokage. He had to have the most troublesome job in the world. Thanks to _her_.

She had convinced him that it would be a good idea. Logically, it was. Naruto made a good Hokage—he loved his village and had wanted to protect it all of his life. He was charismatic and brave, and, contrary to popular belief, was quite intelligent. Despite that, however, he had the tendency of being oh-so-stupid. He was ruled by his emotions and sometimes didn't think things all the way through.

That was where Shikamaru came in. Shikamaru could think clearly through stressful situations. Shikamaru could plan ahead, could think of every possible outcome of every possible option and choose the most logical one. Shikamaru could, for the most part, keep the Hokage on track.

He told himself that he had agreed to the job because he was afraid of living under an incompetent Hokage. It had nothing to do with _her_. It had nothing to do with her bottomless eyes, ones he had a habit of drowning in. It had nothing to do with the perfect full lips that had quirked into a sexy smile.

No, not at all.

"What kind of ramen do you think she's making?" Naruto asked, practically salivating on his desk.

"Naruto." Shikamaru slapped the papers he was holding on the desk in front of his friend, hoping to get his attention. "You need to look at these blueprints. It's your fault that the dam keeps breaking."

"I taught him that jutsu a long time ago," Naruto sulked, pouting. "How was I supposed to know that he and his friends would keep breaking it every time we tried to fix it?"

"Because that's exactly what you used to do with that jutsu."

Naruto pouted again, but he didn't respond, as Choji had walked into the office.

Choji nodded in greeting at Naruto and then turned to Shikamaru, an amused look on his face. "She's at it again," he told him, a smile in his voice.

Shikamaru groaned, looking at the ceiling. He could feel both Naruto and Choji grinning at him. "Where is she?"

"Market. She was by Ino's last I heard."

"Ugh." And with a stride that clearly showed how troublesome he thought the whole thing was, Shikamaru left the office.

"Yes!" Naruto yelled gleefully. "Now I can go home!"

"Hinata making ramen again?" Choji asked. When Naruto nodded enthusiastically, Choji smiled once more. Naruto had clearly ended up with the right person-Hinata made and ate ramen every night for dinner without complaint.

* * *

He found her a little ways past the Yamanaka Flower Shop, looking at some fabric. She didn't turn as he approached, but, still sensing him, snapped, "What, you've got the whole village spying on me now?"

He did, in fact, but, valuing his life, wisely did not tell her so. "What are you doing here, Temari?"

She looked up at him angrily. "Shopping, what does it look like?"

Shikamaru would never admit it, but he found her stunning when she was mad. Not that she wasn't insanely beautiful normally-it was just that when she was mad, she was absolutely breathtaking. The fire that burned deep within her burst to the surface, her cerulean eyes flashing, her perfect mouth spitting insults, and he couldn't help but stare.

Now, he tried not to notice how her golden hair blazed like the sun in the colorful evening sky. "You should be in bed."

"I'm not tired," she spat back. The merchant, who had previously been telling Temari about the fabric clutched in her hand, smirked knowingly.

Shikamaru sighed, and that seemed to anger her further.

"I haven't trained in _forever_," she hissed, "and when I try to go somewhere, you stop me. I'm so... _fat_!"

The old merchant smiled at this, but she turned and glared with such intensity that he decided that another customer needed his help and promptly left them.

"You're pregnant, Temari, not fat," he said, attempting to direct her away from the market and into bed.

She shrugged his hand off of her shoulder viciously. "I'm huge!" she spat. "I'm so big I probably have my own zip code!"

People were looking at them, but they were all smiling. This was not the first time that Temari was seen wandering the village, nor the first time Shikamaru tried to coax her home. And it sure as hell wasn't the first time Temari yelled at him in public.

She was right, though. She was huge. While the rest of her had stayed its regular, muscular self, her stomach had expanded to ridiculous proportions. She was always bumping into things, not used to the extra girth, and she couldn't remember the last time she had seen her feet.

"You _are_ pretty big," he agreed, seemingly unperturbed by the daggers her eyes shot at him. "But that's what happens when you're pregnant. You can work out all you want once the baby's born, but right now you need to go home. Sakura put you on bed rest."

Temari dropped the fabric, allowing herself to be led for a couple of steps. "This is all your fault," she seethed.

"Are you sure it was me?" he replied. "I've seen those puppy-dog eyes Kiba has thrown at you."

It was meant as a joke, but Temari didn't seem to find it at all comical-she backhanded him with enough force to break his jaw. Shikamaru thanked every deity out there that his reflexes were fast enough to avoid the blow.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me!" She ripped her arm from him, stopping in her tracks. "Of course this is your fucking kid! I'm two weeks overdue! Only your lazy ass could make a baby this slow!"

She was _mad_. Temari had always been a firecracker, but pregnancy hormones had put her on an emotional roller coaster. One second she was fine, the next she was yelling. The worst was her weepy moods. Temari had never been a crier, so it really unnerved Shikamaru the first time he had seen her burst into tears. He could deal with her wanting to tear his head off, but the second it looked like the floodgates would open, he became a nervous wreck.

Temari sniffed.

Oh _no_.

She hiccuped, trying to hold the tears back but not quite accomplishing it. A couple squeezed out of her eyes. "And now I've just wet myself. _Again_."

He reached his hand out to comfort her, but she smacked it away.

"I'm _done_," she sobbed. "I'm done being pregnant. Get it out of me."

"Temari."

"NO! Get it out. Out."

"Temari, calm down."

"Don't_ tell_ me to calm down, Nara! My feet hurt, my back hurts, everything hurts! I'm done!"

Shikamaru grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "You need to calm down. You didn't wet yourself. You're in labor."

She blinked, tears still streaking her face. Her eyes were wide, not really comprehending what he had just said. "What?"

"Your water just broke," he replied calmly, though he was feeling anything but.

She blinked again, and then the Temari that he loved appeared, grinning. "Well let's go then. I don't have all day."

* * *

Being as loud of a person as she was, Shikamaru had expected Temari to scream bloody murder, scaring off nearly everyone, and then to threaten the remaining people with bodily harm if they didn't leave. He had expected projectiles being thrown, aimed at anyone who told her that she was "doing great" or to "just take deep breaths."

There was none of that. If anyone was freaking out, it was Temari's brothers. They had come to Konoha two weeks ago, when Temari was due, and had been waiting there ever since. Gaara had stood perfectly still, looking as if he would bolt at the slightest movement, and Kankuro paced, _unable_ to stay still. Eventually, in a way eerily calm for a woman in labor, Temari had to ask them both to wait outside.

She had made it completely though labor with little more than a few grunts, taking the pain in stride, and with no complaints. Shikamaru, for his part, made it through silently as well, not uttering one word of protest as Temari crushed his hand. He ended up with a broken thumb and two dislocated fingers, but he was too happy to care.

His daughter was beautiful.

The two happy parents watched with interest as the hospital room quickly filled with people. Sakura, who had delivered the baby, ran to get Ino, and the two girls cooed over her. Choji patted Shikamaru on the back, happy for his friend.

Naruto, followed by a smiling Hinata, held the baby proudly, taking multiple pictures with her and promising to sign them for her. He even offered to bless her and to share his name with the newborn, to which Sakura replied, "You're just the Hokage. Get over yourself."

Shikamaru's parents were enamored with her. His father couldn't keep a smile off of his face, and his mother coddled her, barely giving Shikaku any time to hold her.

Gaara was the other person completely in love. At first he was afraid of her, afraid that he could break her. Once he got ahold of her, however, no one else was allowed to hold her. He became so infatuated with her that if she weren't already his niece, he might have considered kidnapping her.

Kankuro was a different matter. Although he held his niece and congratulated her parents, he was much more interested in Shikamaru.

"Pay up, Nara," he said gleefully.

Temari rolled her eyes, laying back further into the pillows.

Months before, the two had gotten into a debate about whether the baby would look more like Temari or Shikamaru. Shikamaru had tried to convince Kankuro that both blond hair and blue/green eyes were recessive traits and his brown hair and brown eyes were dominant ones, but the puppet-master wouldn't listen, betting him otherwise.

"Sorry, Kankuro," Shikamaru replied with a smile, "I guess the bet is null."

Kankuro grinned. "And what was it exactly that we bet?"

Shikamaru realized his mistake before he even answered. Inwardly, he sighed. "That Temari's genes would be stronger than mine."

Kankuro pointed gleefully at the baby, who happened to be happily settled in Gaara's arms. "And what do we have there?"

Most of the people in the room were chuckling at him at this point. Shikamaru didn't even bother answering.

Even though the baby's eyes were his own boring brown, her hair was fire engine red, matching brilliantly with the Kazekage's.

Temari's genes had beaten his—spectacularly.

"Hey!" Naruto shouted, clearly a step behind everyone else, "Naruto-chan has the same hair as Gaara!"

"Her name's not Naruto," Temari replied irritably. "It's...Shikari."

The name was a surprise, as the baby had been previously unnamed, but looking at his beautiful, perfect, redheaded daughter, he knew that the name suited her.

Neither he nor Temari were ones for PDA, but when the urge to kiss her came over him, he didn't deny it. And Temari, in an extremely good mood, let him, and kissed him back.

This elicited many catcalls, but the two promptly ignored them, basking in the glow of their accomplishment.

"She's so cute!" Sakura gushed to Ino.

"I know!" Ino replied. "Who would have thought that something so adorable could have come from _Shikamaru_."

"Hina-chan!" Naruto whined to his wife. "Hina-chan, I want one!"

Hinata blushed deep red, but did not object when Naruto picked her up, deciding that he would take her home and have his way with her.

"Don't worry," Yoshino said, much to Temari's chagrin. "I'll be over _all the time_. I know how much help a new mother will need. I'll teach you how to cook, clean, do the laundry—"

"I can already do those things," Temari interrupted.

Yoshino raised an eyebrow. "The _right_ way, dear."

Shikaku felt sorry for Temari, and almost said something, but out of self-preservation decided not to.

Gaara allowed Choji to hold Shikari, but "only for a little while. Temari said I could feed her."

And, amidst all the chaos, "No, seriously dude. Pay up."

* * *

**A/N: Whew! Done. In case anyone is wondering, I chose the name _Shikari_ partly because of the whole Ino-Shika-Cho spiel. (I also almost _didn't_ choose it for that reason.) Other than that, _Shikari_ is an Indian word for "hunter." Intelligent and dangerous—just as we all envision Shikatema kids to be. ^_^**


	13. Kinky

**Hello, everyone! I'm supposed to be studying/writing a paper right now, but I just had this random thought and had to write it! Not just Shikatema, but meh. ^_^**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, there would be a little more backstory on his parents. I am seriously starting to ship Minato/Kushina.**

* * *

"Did you know," Ino whispered, wagging her eyebrows suggestively, "that Choji can use his jutsu to expand a _single part _of his body?"

"After all of that Gentle Fist training, Neji's _really_ good with his hands," Tenten smirked.

"You know, shadows can be really frisky sometimes," Temari said, winking.

"Sasuke's so animalistic!" Sakura hissed. "I don't know if it has to do with the fact that he hung with Orochimaru, but I swear, that man's tongue…"

They all turned towards Hinata, who was turning more and more red by the second. Temari raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"A-ano..." Hinata stuttered quietly.

"Come on, Hinata, he can't be _that_ bad," Sakura urged.

"Yeah, Hinata! We're trying to bond here," Tenten prodded, elbowing her friend lightly.

"I would have thought he'd at least be enthusiastic with all that energy he seems to have," Temari said aloud.

"Psht. That probably just means he finishes too quickly," Ino snorted.

"SOMETIMES NARUTO-KUN USES HIS SEXY NO JUTSU!" Hinata suddenly yelled, snapping all the attention back on her. She slapped a hand over her mouth with an _eep_, eyes wide.

All of the kunoichi stared, not sure they heard her correctly. "What did you say, Hinata?" Tenten asked.

Hinata was so red she looked like she would faint, but she couldn't seem to stop the words flowing from her mouth. "Sometimes it's not me and Naruto-kun," she said quietly, covering her eyes now instead of her mouth. "Sometimes it's me and _Naruko-chan_."

Jaws hit the floor, and not a word was uttered as they stared at the Hyuuga heiress in awe.

Hinata peeked at them through her fingers. "Does this make me a lesbian?"

* * *

**A/N: Whatever contest they were having, I think Hinata won. ^_~**

**Short, but what do you think? Let me know! Review!**


	14. Deserve

**Just a random thing I thought of while in the shower...is it strange that I get my best ideas in bathrooms?**

**Oh, and just a shameless plug: I was writing a chapter for this fic when I realized that it was so much bigger than just a Shikatema oneshot. As such, I made it into it's own fic! It's called _Into the Future_ and contains Shikatema along with many other parings. Check it out! ^_^**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, Jiraya wouldn't have died. Because he is hilarious and I love him.**

* * *

She lays facing him, her unruly hair splayed wildly on the pillow. Her body revels in the coolness of the sheets, the linens caressing her skin.

Light is slowly filtering in through the window behind her, signaling the arrival of dawn. Shadows make their way onto his face. She watches, entranced by the curve of his jaw, the way his hair is as wild as disheveled as her own, the look of peace on his sleeping face.

She is crying.

She cries because she is weak.

Slowly, her body edges towards his, moving until she is chest to chest with him. She brings an arm behind him, fiddles with the hair at the nape of his neck.

Although he is still asleep, he senses her. His arm drapes over her waist, pulling her even closer to him.

She cries even harder, muffling sobs.

"Hey."

Her eyes snap to his. He is awake, his eyes wide with concern and alarm.

It is better this way. He deserves to see her.

And she deserves for him to see her.

She wants to stay just like this, wrapped in his arms, so close she can smell musk and grass and _him_. She wants to kiss him, softly at first, and then violently, all tongue and teeth, until she can somehow convey the feelings overcoming her, can somehow make him _understand_.

But she doesn't deserve it.

So instead, she cries more, tears running off of her face and staining the sheets. He watches, perplexed, wanting to make it all better, and not realizing that he is making it _worse_.

She makes sure to look him straight in the eye when she does it. A flick of her wrist, and the kunai delves deep into the flesh of his neck, the point coming out on the other side and mocking her.

His expression doesn't change much. He is still looking at her, his eyes half-lidded. He gives one last wheeze, a shudder, blood creeping from his lips, and then his eyes go blank.

She knows her mission is complete.

All of this time, all of the flirting and dinners and shogi, _all of it_—it was for a seduction mission.

He was too smart for his own good, and clearly needed to be taken care of.

But she was dumb. _Stupid_.

She fell for him—hard. She loves him, _loved_ him.

And now she waits. She holds on to him still, even though his blood is staining her naked skin and oozing into the sheets. She closes his eyes, once again watching the shadows dance across his face. She wants to kiss him, but she doesn't deserve it.

So she gets comfortable, and waits for them to find her.

* * *

**A/N: Dark, I know. And I know you're probably thinking, "what kind of showers do **_**you**_** take?" But I guess I was feeling angsty at the time, so just go with it. ^_^;;**

**Reviews would be much appreciated!**


	15. Loyalty

**Wow! It's been a while! My muse has been focused on other things, I guess. *cough***_**Into the Future***_**cough***

**Not much to say, just that I guess I like writing angsty Shikatem as well as fluffy. Go figure. Oh, and to anyone who cares, there is a brief mentioning of sexy time.**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did, it would not be nearly as epic as it is right now.**

* * *

He knows something is wrong the moment he sees her.

She still listens to Ino's gossip, giving input where necessary. She still laughs at Naruto's jokes in all the right places.

But only Shikamaru can tell that none of the emotions she outwardly displays reaches her eyes.

His suspicion is confirmed when, the moment they are alone, she jumps him, her tongue caressing his own. He is confused, but kisses her back, happy that they are in the privacy of his apartment and not in the middle of the street, where people could see.

He waits for her to explain, but she doesn't. Instead, she starts disrobing him. He feels the urgency in her hands, the anxiety in her kiss. As if she wouldn't be able to breathe until his body touched hers, until he was inside her and they were no longer two separate people.

Their lovemaking is frenzied and desperate, although Shikamaru doesn't know why. And it isn't until it's over, when their legs are intertwined and sweaty chests are flush up against each other, that she whispers the words into his neck.

"I can't come back here anymore."

He is surprised. His mouth dries at the intensity of her words. "What?" he murmurs into her hair.

She takes a deep breath, steadying herself. Then, she sits up, looking him in the eye. "I'm moving to Iwa."

He isn't sure what to say to that, so he says nothing. This seems to deter her a little, and she averts her eyes.

"I'm getting married."

He recoils as if someone had punched him in the gut. "What?"

"To the grandson of the Tsuchikage." She swallows. "To strengthen the ties between Suna and Iwa."

And then he is angry. He grabs her abruptly by the shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "Is Gaara making you do this?"

She shakes her head viciously, fire in her eyes. "Of course not! Gaara would never force me to do something like this!"

He wants to yell, to break something, because this means that she _chose_ to put herself in this predicament, that she _chose_ to put her country before _him_.

But he doesn't, and rage leaves his body. Because Temari is loyal to her country, just as he is to his, and is willing to take one for the team at the expense of her own life.

He can't blame her, as this is their purpose as shinobi. And her complete and utter loyalty is one of the things he fell in love with.

He looks down at her, and he sees the pain he feels reflected into her eyes.

"Stop it," she murmurs shakily, kissing his jawline before replacing her head in the crook of his neck. "You're not allowed to look at me like that."

They say nothing for a long time, listening to each other's breaths. She breaks the silence. "You know, that Shiho girl isn't so bad. She's plain. Not troublesome at all."

He doesn't answer, focusing on not letting her know he's crying, because as much as he had protested, he never wanted something troublesome so much in his _life_.

But she knows, from the way his chest splutters and heaves. And when her own tears fall, she pretends they don't exist.

* * *

He watches from the safety of a tree as she hugs all her friends goodbye. She laughs as Naruto promises to visit her. She winks at Hinata, urging her to be more bold. She swears that Ino will be the first person she writes to once she's settled. She takes the medicine and kunai offered to her by Sakura and Tenten.

All the while, her eyes do not stray to his tree, even though he knows she knows he is there.

"Where is that baka Shikamaru?" Ino hisses. "He could at least see you off."

Temari's smile falters slightly, but she doesn't miss a beat. "It's okay. We've already spoken."

And then she's leaving, and he can't look, because a part of him is dying and he knows that if he watches her leave him, he'll never be able to revive it.

And then she's leaving, and she can't look back, because she _is_ dead, in every way that counts, and she knows that if she sees him, she will lose her resolve and cling to him, cling to _life_.

When the invitations come, Shikamaru is not invited.

* * *

**A/N: I don't know why I enjoy writing things like this. T-T**

**I guess I just enjoy showing all different sides to their relationship. ^_^**

**Let me know what you think!**


	16. Kazekage

**I'm back! :D Well, technically I never left—I've just been focusing my ShikaTema writing into another one of my fics, **_**Destined**_**. Which explains why I've written yet another angsty oneshot—I just wrote a fluffy one in **_**Destined**_**. Sorry if this series seems to be becoming downer. haha**

**I have at least another oneshot planned for this fic, but I think I'm just going to mark this as completed. All of my focus currently seems to be focused on ShikaTema in Futureverse, so for now I'm going to roll with it. It's quite likely that I'll update this when something random comes to me, so don't get rid of those alerts! Thanks to everyone who's been following this!**

**I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

She sits on the ground, cradling her brother's head to her chest and rocking slightly. She is covered in dirt and there is blood everywhere, but she doesn't seem to notice.

He isn't quite sure what to say. "Temari…"

She doesn't seem to hear him, her fingers raking through bright, bright red hair, her gaze distant. She doesn't notice the blood seeping through her clothes and staining her hands.

Her silence is scaring him. He wonders if she is broken.

Shikamaru wants to touch her, to comfort her, but he knows that this is not what she needs right now. Instead, he stands silently by, joining her in her grief.

A group of soldiers approach them, their forehead protectors gleaming "shinobi". One of them, a chuunin Shikamaru recognizes from Konoha, cautiously steps forward. His face looks pained. "Your orders, Kazekage-sama?"

Her hands, busy smoothing Gaara's hair, suddenly freeze. Slowly, she turns to face them, her expression one of disbelief.

Shikamaru feels the wind knocked out of him.

Despite being the first born, her gender makes Temari the last sibling in line to take up the position.

The implications of this hit him hard, and when she looks at him hollowly, he realizes he was wrong about her being broken.

Temari is shattered.

But this is war, and if Temari is anything, she is shinobi. She kisses her dead brother on the forehead then releases him, allowing some of the shinobi to take his body away.

"Rally the troops," she says authoritatively. "We need to restrategize."

The lips he often kissed in secret are red with blood. He wants to scream for her, cry for her, grab her and never let go.

But he is her second-in-command, and this is war. So, like the rest, he responds with "Yes, Kazekage-sama."

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**A/N: Let me know. :)**


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